A SAILOR WENT TO SEA, SEA, SEA
TO SEE WHAT HE COULD SEE, SEE , SEE,
BUT ALL THAT HE COULD SEE, SEE, SEE
WAS THE BOTTOM OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA, SEA, SEA!
Good grief, that lyric takes me back 20 odd years to when my boys were small and that was a nursery rhyme in one of the many books they demanded to be read at bedtime. Tempus fugit, eh?!
My desk has been a whirlwind of activity this week - talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous.
It all started when I needed (yes, really!) some curtain fabric in order to make this window look a bit prettier:
It's a 3 metre drop! That horrible net curtain has been there since we moved in and as we haven't got the ladders to reach up to the curtain pole, there it has stayed - but not for much longer. Someone with the proper equipment is coming to paint our hall, stairs and landing and while he's up there, he can change the curtain!
So off to Swansea we went to a really useful pair of shops - both called Lee Mills, one is for dress fabrics, the other for furnishing. After browsing for about ten minutes, I found one I really liked:
It's a gorgeous linen fabric with enough pattern to make it interesting. I needed 7 metres (including a big allowance for pattern) match, there was 6.95m on the roll. I hadn't even asked the price, the lady said that the book price was £42 a metre (gulp!) but as it was an end of roll, they'd priced it at £13.95!!! Well, I could have kissed her :-D Was that meant to be or not huh??
So as the weather on Saturday was vile, I assigned the day to curtain making. Julia, you'd be proud...and slightly amazed... I measured AND pinned.
It was a lot of fabric to work with, but I'm not lining the curtains so that made life easier. I shall show you the finished articles when they're up!
While at the shop, I spotted another fabric in the same line as something I bought about two months ago:
I shouldn't have...but I did and made myself a big old tote shopping bag!
Beautifully hand modelled by Mr LLJ, doncha think?! I can get loads in it, it's going to be really useful.
I've also been making tiny knitted Christmas puddings in which to stuff a Ferrero Rocher choccy and hang it on the tree - this is for a fundraiser evening in November. I shall share this next week as there's enough photos here already.
Talking of fundraising, I handed over the £120 raised at the Crop to the RNLI station treasurer this week, a thank you letter will be arriving in due course. I thought I'd show you what it's going towards.
This is the current Victorian boathouse which can only house one of the two lifeboats - the other is in a shed close by:
This is where the ladies (me included) have to run the shop, getting all the stock out and putting it all away again each time. The smaller D class boat and tractor are in there plus all the crew stuff:
It's all neat and tidy...
But that's the changing area - not ideal, to say the least.
And this is what the Crop money is going towards:
Both boats will be housed together near the beach for launching, there will be proper crew facilities upstairs with decent changing rooms and meeting areas. The shop is at the other end together with a viewing platform and visitor experience area.
The shop is bottom left. It's going to be such an improvement for the organisation and is giving the old harbour a bit of a facelift. The local group had to raise £40,000, we're about £27k at the moment with other pledges to come in, that's on top of the £20k we're expected to raise every year. A substantial amount of money for a small community. So when I say Thank You, I really mean it - your generosity has got this amazing project a bit further on. The crews attended 29 callouts to aid people in distress in July and August alone, so you can appreciate how much this station is needed.
Sorry for the long post (again!) Have a great week :-D xxxxxxxxx
33 comments:
Love the curtain fabric - that's a big old window! I was amazed at the reduction in the fabric - what a bargain, how lucky!! The new RNLI building will be amazing, so well done deskers for contributing towards it! Helen #?
Could I ask a favour? could you link me up today? I'm on holiday so I am going out at 6.25 lol!!(bet you can't guess where!) https://stampingbyh.blogspot.com/2018/09/woyww-486.html
Your curtains will be really gorgeous Jan - bargain fabric and perfect for the job. I just don't envy you the job - there is always so much fabric to deal with isn't there. You will do a great job. Fab pics of the RNLI and great fund raising. I have knitted covers for Terrys choc oranges again this year. xx Jo
What a bargain, look forward to seeing the unveiling but I agree with Jo it's not a job I would like to tackle. What a worthy cause the RNLI is, the new build will be a marvellous resource.
Thank you for sharing WOYWW Tracey #4
P.S Loving that Tote bag Fabric x
Love your bag that fabric is brilliant. Wow that's some upgrade for RNLI I am watching Saving Lifes at sea on BBC2 they do a fantastic job. Craftyani(no #)
Wow, Jan, that fabric look beautiful and what a bargain, that will look beautiful when hung up. The shopping bag is amazing too, well done. Sounds as if you are blessed with great fabric shops in Swansea.
The lifeboat station looks good too, when is it due for completion?
Chris
Hi Julia, I love the curtain fabric. that was definitely meant to be for sure.
Your tote is fantastic. Love the fabric.
What do they plan to do with the old lifeboat station?
Happy WOYWW
Sue #11
Love the new curtain fabric....so glad you didn’t ask me to make them for you 😀 that newbag fabric and resulting bag is fab Jan. I can see it being used lots. Thanks for the info on the Lifeboat housing....it should be brilliant when finished. Apparently there’s a free site somewhere there that a motor home can be parked over night 😉
Hugs,
Annie x #12
Happy & what a great WOYWW xx Jan (14)
Ooh I just love that new curtain fabric - it's exactly what I would have chosen, I bet it will look stunning. The tote bag is fabulous - what gorgeous fabric. I have to go smaller with bags now as I'm getting old and ache-y when I carry too much!! The RNLI project looks a massive undertaking, I hope they soon reach their target. Living by the sea the RNLI is very prominent in our area, but very small - we don't have a shop, although we have shops for almost every other charity you care to name! They do a fantastic job.
Have a great week my dear gal,
Hugs, Diana xx
Hiya Jan, good to be home. :) I know that curtain problem well, our front room widows are almost 8 foot tall, and in a square bay. Had to lay the fabric on the floor to pin panels together. I bought fabric to do ours, as looking in shops at prices for curtains for that size windows almost caused a heart attack! Our stairs walls are ridiculously high too, great idea getting the painter to do the job. Love it. Love the curtain fabric too, and what a bargain. I'd have fainted at that price! Great job being done with the fundraising, it's a disgrace really that something so important has to rely soley on fundraising, bit like the air ambulances. Anyway, soapbox put away till next time. Love & Hugs to you all, Shaz XxX
I love your beautiful window over the stairs. The net curtain looks very nice but it's going to look great once you've finished the great long curtains! We have very high ceilings in this house and the windows are very large so it takes a lot of fabric for curtains. The new RNLI station looks amazing and what a great fund-raising idea. Thank you for your visit and I'm glad you like the colour scheme I've chosen - it will work well with the album cover, I think.
Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi #9
Wow, what an awesome lifeboat project! It will, I'm sure, make a huge difference! I love your new tote bag, and can't wait to see the new curtain! We were both in curtain mode this week, I also replaced a horrible dark blue curtain in my spare room (yes, it also had been there since we moved in, in 2002) with beautiful long cream sheer curtains with gold sewn though-out - but I bought mine at the thrift store I work at for $3.00 each (1.76 british pounds)! I tried to wash to blue curtains - they fell apart in the wash, they were so old! Happy fall, have a great week, Lindart #21
thank you thank you!! just got home, Kew, and the hairdressers... time for tea!!
Interesting post today. I so love the tote bag, gorgeous. I need new curtains for the bedroom but need some plastering too but that's another story! Happy woyww, Angela x16x
The tote bag is gorgeous and I love the material you have chosen for the curtains. The lifeboat project is wonderful. Thanks for sharing. Have a lovely day. God Bless. Caro x (#23)
Oh mate, every penny is worth it isn't it. Bet the shop and Café will flourish in the new building. Love the fabric choice and then nearly spat my drink on the screen 42 per metre.Argh! \thank God it was clearance! Good girl for pinning, with that much material at stake though, unpicking would be awful and seeing a mismatch every time you went up or downstairs would drive you bonkers! I LOVE the tote bag fabric and feel you should really be making me a tunic from it. Ever since I lost the facility of the dining table, I wanna sew!!
Hi Jan, Thanks for letting me know about the old lifeboat station. Definitely a good place for a cafe. Sue
Your new curtain fabric is gorgeous and I love your tote! Great pics of the lifeboat project! Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Carol N #18
Love the curtain fabric Jan and what a saving. Look forward to seeing the finished article in place. The tote bag is magnificent too. The fund raising is definitely going to a good cause. Thanks for visiting. Have a good week. Sarah #2
I'm glad you didn't try and get that curtain down yourselves! Love the new fabric and the bag fabric! It's good to see that you are going to have such a fabulous Lifeboat station - better for all I think! Hugs, Chrisx 24
what super fabric and such a bargain!! love that bag, just remember you have to carry it!!
have an enjoyable week
Christine #22
Hi Jan, lovely post with great photos too. That fabric was a bargain and it will dress your window perfectly. Love the bag too - more fabulous fabric. Spotted in an earlier post that you discovered the teeny-weeny wool shop in Ruthin - were you stalking me!!! Glad to see our fundraising is helping your local RNLI - the new station will be fabulous - real luxury for those brave people. Hugs, Elizabeth x #19
Fabulous curtain fabric and certainly a bargain at the price. I am making tote/shopping bags galore for the upcycling project to launch our “no plastic” project on Monday. The new lifeboat station looks wonderful and hopefully will be well used by visitors after all your hard work.
Hi Jan, I totally laughed that the painter will have to change out the curtain when he is working. :) I love the fabric you picked for the new ones. That looks like it will be a beautiful building to hold the boats and crew, they must all be so excited seeing it come together knowing the will not be knocking elbows to get their gear on during an emergency soon. ~Stacy #20
Happy Belated WOYWW. I am up early, so catching up with blog commenting before the day gets busy again. Well done for tackling those curtains. We have very tall windows around most of the house, and I was very happy to leave it to the man from Hillarys Blinds (have used them for every house I have lived in since 1995) to measure up and fit the curtains/blinds. He had to bring a specially tall ladder. The lightbulb went up on our landing not long after we moved in, more than 5 years ago. No one has had the courage (or ladders) to get up there since, so we have never had a working light! I dream about a smaller bungalow with normal height ceilings/windows. Love that bag - looks really hardwearing. I would love to have the energy to help with fundraising for the RNLI. There have been a few new stations built in Pembrokeshire. We always love visiting Poppit Sands - and watching the lifeboat going out across the sand with the huge tow vehicle. Ali x #25 ps I am starting a series of regular workshops on Friday, which will involve textiles (embroidery, felting etc). We will be making some sort of quilt with memories of Pembrokeshire and the people. I will find out more and report back at the weekend.
Thanks for the visit :) Don't know where the hours go... but I'm here, saying hello!
Happy WOYWW :)
Claire no.3
I visited Swansea once, years ago... I wish I lived nearer 'cause I need curtain-fabric too! I know what I want (grey-greenish linen or cotton) but there are no big shops here and I haven't found the right fabric yet. I'm a bit jaleous seeing your lovely curtains! The new boathouse looks lovely on that drawing! Thanks for your visit earlier. I'm late 'doing the round' as it's always weekend already...
enjoy! Marit #8
Always love your photos Jan! I love that fabric you are using for the curtains and a fab bargain too! Gorgeous tote bag too, I really need to find the time to do more stitching!
have a great week! Deb xx
Wow, love the new lifeboat station. That will make so much difference to the lives of those brave souls who turn our when needed. When we had a caravan at Treaddur the site owners son was in the lifeboat crew and I was so proud to know Daniel at the time.
Gulp!! to the curtaining. Seven times £42 equals £294 - have I got that right? It will be a show stopper when that new window is dressed. It is beautiful though and i can imagine how much you wanted it so someone somewhere was looking down on you at that precise moment. Great reduction. Love the tote fabric too.
Have a lovely week, hope the sun is shining for you.
Hugs, Neet (27 because it was 3 am she got home this morning and I hadn't slept much whilst away - too darned hot and no air con at night) Aaw (tee hee) xxx
Hi Jan. Glorious fabric - and a real barg! love 'em, don't you??! Great tote bag, too - well done - I see you've been a real busy bee. well done on handing over all that money - that's such a great amount. Our new lifeboat station is working well - different architectural shape to yours - we have a shop in town.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #1
My deepest respect to all the buzzy women! I love your photos and the storie behind. (I remember the Christmas puddings from last year - so cute!).
Thank you for your lovely post!
Eva from Austria
Playing catch up and WOW this is an awesome post. Your 2 fabrics are luscious. Will make a very nice curtain and love how the bag turned out. Such great colors. Enjoyed the out and about photos too. Don't know of Life boat stations in our Midwest area, maybe on the coasts.
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